Q&A with Josh Banks

Armed with a rubber arm and an eight-pitch repertoire, Josh Banks has been one of the pleasant surprises of the Padres' season.

Q: Let's start with the basics: List your eight pitches.

A: "Two-seam and four-seam fastballs, curve, slider, split-finger fastball, cutter, a change-up that is different to left-handers and right-handers, and a hard knuckleball that I throw like a fastball, although I can throw a regular knuckleball."

Q: When I list all that, I come up with 10 pitches.

A: "The change-up is a variation. And I don't use the slower knuckleball. The hard knuckleball I used to throw as my splitter."

Q: How did you learn so many pitches?

A: "All the pitches were originally self-taught. I'd just experiment with stuff. Like the change-up, I learned to change it depending on what side the hitter was working."

Q: Which pitches take the most time to get ready?

A: "The change-up and cutter. The cutter took the longest to learn. The change-up took the longest to get the feel down. In bullpen sessions between starts, I'll work on the fastball, change and cutter because I need to develop a feel. I never throw the split-finger unless it is in a game."

Q: Most pitchers have trouble with their second or third pitch. What led you to try to develop eight?

A: "I've always wanted to keep hitters off-balance when I pitched. Listening to some coaches and older pitchers, I thought it was a good idea to have an extra pitch and keep the hitters thinking. Last season in the International League, I faced one team (Rochester) seven times. The assortment helped."

Q: Bud Black recently said it was almost impossible for a pitcher to gain command of more than two or three pitches because of the finite amount of pitches you have in any arm. Then he said you were an exception.

A: "I have always thrown a lot. Even the day after I pitch, I'll play long-toss. When I was 12 or 13, I threw all three seven-inning games of a tripleheader for a 14-and-under traveling team. At the end of my high school career in Maryland, I threw 24 innings in one week, including nine on Friday and the last seven on Sunday when we lost 2-1 in 14 innings."

Q: Have you met with resistance from coaches and managers about using so many pitches?

A: "I've had coaches tell me I'd never pitch in the majors doing this. 'Cut down,' I was told. But Bud and (pitching coach) Darren Balsley have been great about me using a lot of pitches. When I first came up, Bals asked me about the variety of pitches I threw. He didn't try to limit me."

Q: What do you think is the biggest advantage to having your repertoire?

A: "The more things the hitter has to think about, the better. There have been times where I've gotten a `what was that?' look from a hitter. I struck out Matt Murton on a knuckleball last season at Iowa and got that look."